Rigaku Corporation introduced the new FR-X rotating anode X-ray source at the 2012 meeting of the PSDI (Protein Structure Determination in Industry) meeting being held in Chantilly, France November 11-13. The FR-X was designed to be utilized in structural biology and material science, and produces the highest usable X-ray flux available to the laboratory researcher.

The new generator provides 20% more flux compared to the previous model, and a new direct-drive anode design reduces maintenance expense considerably. The dual port design of the FR-X, coupled with an optional dual wavelength anode, provides the ultimate in experimental flexibility and end station utilization.

Rigaku introduced the first rotating anode X-ray generator in 1952 and has continuously advanced the technology since. Ninety percent of the protein structures deposited in the Protein Databank (PDB) that was determined in a home lab was solved from data measured with a Rigaku rotating anode source.